CHARACTERISTICS:Delicious toasty character with body reminiscent of Oolongs. Lingering taste that encourages another cup

INGREDIENTS:White Tea

DETAILS:White tea is very different from other types of tea like green or black. Shou Mei leaves are plucked from a special vareital tea bush called Nacissus or chaicha bushes. Only special "Two leaves and a Bud" are selected. The leaves are withered and dried in the sun. If mechanial drying is required it is a baking process at temperatures less than 40'C. These leaves must show a very light green almost grey white color and be covered with a velvet peach fuzz down. White teas that are withered in conditions that are too hot will become reddish and in conditions that are too cold will become blackish. The leaves of Shou Mei are plucked durging late April, May, June. The lack of processing and hand selection is evident in the leaf appearance as it is smoewhat mixed and tending flaky and flat. This Shou Mei has a more pronounced taste profile- almost oolong tea-like. many white tea drinkers prefer this cup in that there is a 'substance' to the taste compared to the delicateness of other white teas

Researchers at the Linus Pauling Institute in Oregon tested white teas on selected rats for the ability of white teas to inhibit natural mutations in bacteria and to protect the rats from colon cancer. White teas were found to be more effective than green tea in inhibiting the early stages of cancer but researchers were quick to point out that their study was on rats and the effects should not be exrapolated to humans. One tea expert has been quoted 'Unlike black or greentea, it isn't rolled or steamed, this preserves its antioxidant properties.'

FOR HOT TEA:Place 1-2 teaspoons of leaves in your cup and steep for 3 minutes. Do not remove the leaves from the cup. This tea can be used about three times. Milk or sugar will mask the delicate characters of the tea and are not recommended.

FOR COLD TEA:*One Quart* Place 6 teaspoons of tea into heat resistant pitcher. Add 1 1/4 cups of freshly boiled water. Steep 5 minutes. Quarter fill a serving pitcher with ice water. Add steeped tea and fill with ice water. Garnish and sweetent o taste. (*Please Note*: Top quality tea may cloud when iced due to the high flavonoid/polyphenol levels- It is OK)